


Sympathy for the Devil

by PetrichorPerfume



Series: Shenanigans [194]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flashbacks, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Lucifer, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Michael makes it all better, Multi, Panic Attacks, Poor Lucifer, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-09-02 21:56:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8684887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PetrichorPerfume/pseuds/PetrichorPerfume
Summary: Based on a prompt involving Lucifer crying and Michael making it all better.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Original prompt by LovelyIKnow: Would you be willing to do another insecure/crying/sad Lucifer one (maybe he keeps flashing back to the Cage?) and only Michael can help him? 
> 
> Trigger Warnings: Panic attacks, flashbacks, and anxiety are mentioned/are central themes.

Lucifer could see Gabriel’s lips moving, but the words came to him all muddled, as if his brother was speaking through one of those rusty old playground speakers instead of standing three feet in front of him. The walls had turned a dusty shade of burgundy, and all he could see was red. It was on his hands, dripping in slow rivers down the walls, covering every surface and he could hear an awful, piercing siren.

 

Then Gabriel took a step forward, and Lucifer flew into a panic. He leapt back, stumbling and falling back and crawling away from Gabriel as his brother approached, features twisted in what he would have recognized as concern if his heart wasn’t beating so fast.

 

“Get away from me,” he screamed, summoning his power and flashing his battle wings. Gabriel put his hands up slowly and began to back away, lips moving quickly in explanation, but it was as if he were deafened.

 

Gabriel called something over his shoulder, and Lucifer hissed. He slid up the wall and pointed to the door. “Out. Get out.”

 

Lucifer forced a smile when his brother reached the doorway. “Good.” Then he doubled over, holding up a hand to stop Gabriel when he came forward once more. “I’m fine. It’s j-just the air... Not enough air...” He knew he was hyperventilating, but he couldn’t stop and part of him didn’t want to. He reached up to rub his eyes, only to find that his hands slid across the wetness. “I’m not crying,” he said, quite convincingly if you asked him, but Gabriel didn’t seem to think so if the look on his face was anything to go by.

 

A sob tore its way from his throat and he fell to his knees. He hated this – hated looking weak in front of his brother, hated crying, hated this feeling, hated the red cloud covering his vision – he hated it all. It was like Hell, all over again.

 

A horrible thought occurred to him. What if this _was_ Hell? What if he’d never left? What if this was just the reality of his situation bleeding back into his fantasy? What if-

 

Michael appeared in the doorway, blinding white in the red, the edges of his halo shining pinkish in Lucifer’s eyes, and his train of thought crashed hard. “Mika?” He asked, disbelieving. Some rational part of him was starting to reawaken, and it said he’d just seen his brother this morning, over breakfast, and they’d been talking and laughing and had brushed hands, but the wild, untamed, panicked beast inside of him felt like he hadn’t seen his brother in a thousand years.

 

“Can I come closer?” Michael asked, and Lucifer almost, almost said yes, almost held out his arms like a little child asking for his big brother, but he resisted.

 

“No. No, no, no. This... I’m... I can’t...” He couldn’t find the words to express anything, or so it seemed.

 

Michael didn’t step any further into the room. He just called, “You’re having a panic attack. Or a flashback. Or both. It’s ok. I can help.”

 

Lucifer looked at his hands, which were still dripping red, then back to Michael. “You can?”

 

Michael smiled, and Lucifer silently swore he caught a glimpse of Heaven in his brother’s eyes. “I always do.”

 

Wide-eyed, Lucifer nodded. “I... I think I need some help.” He was still crying, and that voice that always came to him in moments like these said it was pathetic and weak, which only made him sob harder.

 

“Oh, Luce... Look at me. Focus on me.” When Lucifer did, he grinned. “That’s it. You can do it. Don’t listen to anyone but me right now. I’m the only thing you should be seeing; don’t look away, ok?”

 

Lucifer was too afraid to nod. “Yeah,” he whispered, careful not to divert his eyes.

 

“Brilliant,” Michael answered. “Now, I need to come closer if I’m going to be of much use. I’m going to walk to you, slowly, ok?”

 

Lucifer bared his teeth slightly, but didn’t say anything in protest as Michael advanced into the room. When they were in touching distance, Michael stopped. “It’s ok, Lulu. I’m here, now. You’re safe. Everything is ok. Gabriel didn’t mean to startle you. He’s your friend. He’s your brother, your lover, your mate. He’s our family.”

 

Lucifer licked his lips. He had a family, in this particular delusion at least, and he didn’t want to give it up. His eyes were staring to burn from staring at Michael for so long, but he was terrified that it’d all be gone when he closed his eyes, so he didn’t dare blink.

 

“You’re not in Hell, you know.”

 

Lucifer made a threatening sound low in his throat. How could Michael possibly know-

 

“I know you, Luce. This isn’t the first time this has happened; it won’t be the last. And, no, I’m not reading your mind. I just know what you start thinking when this happens.”

 

“Come on, close your eyes. I promise you everything will be ok. Come on, I’ll blink with you... On the count of-”

 

Lucifer’s eyes widened. “No,” he whispered. “No, no, please, no.”

 

“Shh, it’s ok. We’re going to close our eyes together, and you’re going to be ok. All right?”

 

Lucifer tried to weigh his options, but Michael was already counting, and his eyes felt like they were on fire, so on the count of three, he put his faith in Michael and blinked. At first, nothing happened. Then something shifted and there were two fingers to his forehead, and the world – or Hell, whichever – was no more.

 

Later:

 

Lucifer woke up feeling incredibly light and just a little sleepy. It was nice.

 

“He’s awake,” he heard Adam’s voice say from somewhere on the other side of the room.

 

“Shh,” Michael’s voice chided beside him.

 

“Hmm, hey Mika. Hey, Adam,” Lucifer greeted, stretching like a cat. He turned his head towards the window, and frowned when he noticed it was light outside. “How long have I been sleeping? Where are Gabriel and Sam? What time is it?”

 

“Shh,” Michael said, somewhat softer this time. “You had a panic attack,” he explained. “And it’s just gone three.”

 

Lucifer brought his hands up to cover his face, ashamed, then rolled over to hide the rest of him. When Michael tried to touch him, he conjured up a blanket to lie between them.

 

“Lulu,” Michael tried.

 

“Don’t call me that,” Lucifer mumbled. “I can’t believe I had a panic attack. _Another_ one.”

 

“Lucifer, it’s not a big deal. No one is mad at you, and we all know what to do when it happens. And it’s all over, now, and all you need to do is stay here and let me take care of you.”

 

Lucifer rolled his eyes even though no one could see. “If you wanna feed me lines, at least have the courtesy to turn me into a fish first.”

 

Michael put his arms around Lucifer, who didn’t protest. “I love you, and that’s all you need to know, ok? Not trying to feed you a line or sell you a lie.”

 

“We all love you,” Adam added.

 

Lucifer groaned. “I feel so stupid.”

 

“Don’t.” Gabriel’s voice sounded from behind Adam.

 

Slowly, Lucifer extracted himself from his blanket fortress to face his mate. “I’m so-”

 

“Please don’t tell me you’re sorry,” Gabriel insisted. “Just tell me I can spend the rest of the day cuddling you and I’ll be happy.”

 

Lucifer smiled and patted the bed beside him. “I know I might regret this in terms of space, but everyone’s welcome to come cuddle up in here.”

 

Gabriel shouted something lewd over his shoulder, and this time, Lucifer heard him loud and clear. He laughed, and it was infectious. Adam giggled and Michael joined in, and soon the entire family was in Michael and Adam’s bedroom in a great big heap of limbs and wings.

 

And at the end of the day, after breakfast in bed and many, many pancake-flavored kisses later, Lucifer concluded that this almost paradisiacal love was not a delusion, nor a phantom of Hell, but rather, a real, physical, tangible Heaven on Earth that no one could take from him, no matter what.

**Author's Note:**

> Still not up to date on Season 11, so no spoilers in the comments, please!


End file.
